Africa is synonymous with safaris, unrivalled for breathtaking landscapes, incredible wildlife and undeniable adventure. And here at Bonamy, we want you to experience its magic first-hand.

However, as the popularity of safaris and the tourism it brings continues to rise, in parallel are rising concerns about its impact on Africa’s fragile ecosystems and communities. 

Tourism in Africa can provide so many economic benefits to local communities, but it is critical to ensure travel is undertaken responsibly and eco-friendly. Eco-tourism prevents ecosystem degradation by creating more sustainable livelihoods for local communities.

Sadly, sustainability has now become a bit of a ‘buzzword’ in the travel industry, making it incredibly hard to know how to have a truly sustainable safari experience and how to spot travel ‘greenwashing’. 

What is greenwashing?

Greenwashing refers to the practice where companies or organisations falsely promote their products, services, or initiatives as environmentally friendly to capitalise on the growing demand for sustainability. 

This misleading tactic creates a façade of eco-consciousness without a genuine commitment to sustainable practices.

At Bonamy, we prioritise transparency and authenticity in our recommendations. We ensure that the lodges we recommend genuinely embrace eco-friendly practices, providing you with a truly sustainable safari experience. 

Prioritising sustainability shouldn’t mean you de-prioritise exclusivity, adventure or quality! 

Knowledge is power and we’ve made it easy for you with our top tips below. 

But even easier than this, chat to one of us today to help you plan your next (and dare we say most exciting) sustainable safari.

Our Best Tips For a Sustainable African Safari

1. Slow and Steady Wins the Race:

It’s so tempting to try to fit as many places into your trip as possible. 

But slowing down and staying longer in one location is not only a great way to travel more sustainably (spending less time being transported between places thus lessening your carbon footprint), but it also allows you to spend more time exploring one place, learning about its culture, environment, wildlife and people. This is one of the best things about having the ability to travel!

Itinerary Inspiration

Kichaka Expeditions: Exploring Ruaha

Immerse yourself in the African bush with 7 nights exploring Tanzania's Ruaha National Park.

Through a combination of game drives and walking safaris, this itinerary allows you to explore and get intimate with the African bush. Kichaka's phenomenal guides will teach you tracking skills, bush-craft and how to read the sounds and smells of the world around you.

This is the ideal itinerary for those who want an all-round complete bush experience.

With so many countries on offer, we’re showing you just one itinerary that allows you to see so much, whilst minimising your travel and being able to properly experience what that country has to offer. 

2. Lodge Sustainability Practices:

With a plethora of breathtaking lodges on offer, it can be overwhelming to know what to look for and which to choose. Luckily, more and more lodges are embracing eco-friendly practices, something that is paramount to your sustainable safari effort. 

Safari camps and lodges that prioritise sustainability mindsets are more symbiotic with their environment, which almost always amounts to a heightened experience for guests.

Bonamy has all the information here, but in case you also want to know, look out for lodges that: 

• Utilise renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power

• Recycle wastewater (have water conservation practices in place)

• Implement measures to reduce single-use plastic waste

• Support zero waste practices

• Have programmes in place or support initiatives to help mitigate human-wildlife conflict

• Promote responsible and ethical encounters with wildlife

Nowadays, it’s easy to be influenced by high-quality marketing materials and campaigns, but these don’t always reflect the actual experience or sustainability practices of a lodge. 

To truly understand the quality and commitment to sustainability, speak with us for accurate insights.

Phinda Rock Lodge is just one of the lodges available in the Phinda Private Game Reserve. The epitome of luxurious sustainability, the reserve is located in the KwaZulu Natal province of South Africa. 

Phinda prioritises energy efficiency, in-house water filtration and limiting plastic waste, as well as conservation efforts including a pangolin experience where guests can accompany research teams to locate the rare animal and conduct health checks. 

3. Lodge Equity Practices: 

Another aspect of choosing the right lodge is equity. 

Look out for lodges that:

• Promote diversity and inclusion

• Hire local people for management roles

• Promote gender equity in their employment policies

• Prioritise local suppliers and sustainable producers

• Support community initiatives - here it is important to go one step further and look for companies that prioritise capacity building and resources to local communities - to ensure they are providing the tools and knowledge to enable communities to support themselves in the long-term and avoid over-reliance on outside sources of support.

Lodge Spotlight: Kwando Safaris - Kwando Kwara Camp

The Kwando safari camps in the Okavango Delta prioritise equity by employing almost 100% local citizens. They also take this one step further with their commitment to gender equity, with 50% of camp managers being female, and focus on building careers, not jobs, for all their staff. 

Prioritising social responsibility through supporting several different charities and projects in Botswana (such as The Lady Khama Charitable Trust and Pack for a Purpose) means that booking your safari at a Kwando camp delivers benefits beyond just your own experience.

4. Less is More

Exclusivity is a big positive here as certain camps prioritise smaller groups, fewer vehicles, less noise and less (ideally no) interference with the wildlife. In this case, less is definitely more. 

Bask in the silence of the safari, with just the sound of the engine (and even those are becoming silent with more electric vehicles for game drives) and the animals around to offer a truly genuine connection with Africa. 

The added benefit of this - not only are you away from the crowds, but guides are typically some of the most skilled in the industry, tracking and finding wildlife in the most authentic way, meaning you won't have 20 vehicles surrounding a pride of lions (which let’s face it, isn’t a fun time for anyone involved). 

Lodge Spotlight: Kutali Camp

Kutali Camp, set under the cool shade of a Winterthorn forest on Kulefu Island in the Lower Zambezi National Park, epitomises exclusivity and sustainable luxury. With just 5 guest tents offering stunning views of the Zambezi River, this seasonal bush camp provides a truly intimate wilderness experience.

Activities are flexible and primarily conducted on foot or by canoe, ensuring minimal disturbance to wildlife. Game drives, boat cruises, and fishing are also available, with some of the best guides in the region. Kutali Camp allows you to connect deeply with nature, away from the crowds, in one of Zambia's most beautiful settings.

5. Immersive Yourself, but Make Sure it is Authentic:

It’s not ALL about wildlife viewing anymore. Many travellers now rightfully want authentic experiences and an understanding of cultural nuances. More and more lodges are now opening spaces to celebrate local art, crafts and conservation work, as well as integrating local ingredients into dishes.

This goes hand in hand with active involvement with local communities, which can be tricky. To fully understand a culture, it is important to speak to and learn from the local community. However, it is critical to ensure this is authentic and benefits the local community, rather than being a ‘tourist trap’. 

Chundukwa River Lodge in Zambia offers specific visits to the local school and community that you are supporting just by staying at the lodge. 

What resonated with us here is the authentic desire to support the locals in supporting themselves - the idea is to educate them and build their capacity to build businesses so they can be self-sufficient. This is an example of a true community empowerment initiative.

If you are on the Zambian Horseback Safari, on the first night around the table, Doug (lead guide) will tell you all about their work alongside the local communities of the Simalaha Community Conservancy (where the riding takes place). 

It’s impossible not to want to know more, and with their close connection to the land and locals, you can immerse yourself in the culture of the community and learn first-hand all about their joint efforts to re-establish wildlife populations of the 180,000 km2 conservancy.

6. Pack Like a (Sustainable) Pro: 

It’s not just about what measures are being taken in-country, but what you do also matters, right down to how and what you pack for your trip. 

Some key considerations:

• Is your luggage sustainable? The Bonamy duffel bag is the perfect staple piece - not only is it sustainably made in partnership with Sealand, but it's the perfect size to make sure you stick to those weight and size allocations that most safari lodges request.

• Instead of running out to totally replenish your wardrobe for your upcoming safari, consider re-wearing clothes you already own, or opt for sustainable brands. Prioritise light and neutral-coloured clothing (you want to blend in and not stand out when you spot that hungry pride of lions).

• Most safari lodges will provide basic toiletries for you, such as shampoo, conditioner, and body wash, so check this before you travel and leave those plastic bottles behind.

• Make sure to save space in your luggage to bring home a few goodies from your trip - purchased from locals of course (support those local businesses!).

Check out the ultimate Bonamy packing list for different types of safaris here:

7. Consider Other Forms of Safari Adventure:

From walking to horseback and even cycling safaris on offer, consider leaving behind more traditional safaris for new and exciting active safari adventures, where you can reach parts of a country that may not be accessible with those staple safari jeeps. 

Many safari camps offer these non-motorised immersive experiences, which are less physically intrusive or damaging to the natural habitats you visit.

Examples from our experiences:

Horseback safari in Namibia: Riding 320km across the Namibian desert, leaving nothing but your horse's hoof prints behind, has to be one of the most exhilarating and unique ways to see the vast and beautiful country.

8. Think About the Bigger Picture

As Sir David Attenborough explains “No one will protect what they don't care about, and no one will care about what they have never experienced”. 

In the consumerist society we live in today, the values which often drive human behaviour are those focused on consumption and profit. And these values lie at the root of human-induced climate change and environmental degradation. 

By experiencing first-hand the natural world through a sustainable safari, we can become more connected to nature, and in turn, will do more to protect it. 

We said it at the start and we'll say it again - knowledge is power, and sharing your own experience post-travel can also be so powerful to help others with their own sustainability journey. 

And it doesn’t have to stop at safaris - continue to educate yourself about other ways to support conservation and sustainability efforts in Africa and beyond (if you have the means) and look into more sustainable measures you can take in your everyday life. Nothing changes if nothing changes. 

It’s not always as simple as this, granted. No one is perfect, so don’t panic if you can’t ‘do it all’. 

Small changes in travel habits can have big positive impacts on the environment, and if you have made it this far, it means you’ve already taken the step to educate yourself a bit more about responsible travel, which makes us at Bonamy very happy!

So What is The Next Step? 

It’s most important to choose a travel operator who has the right values and considers sustainability a top priority. 

At Bonamy, the protection of Africa’s wildlife, people and ecosystems is at the heart of everything we do. Critical to this is ensuring we only work with suppliers that share these core values and are committed to conserving the environment and empowering local communities. 

So who better to ask for your next sustainable safari? 

Bonus - Here is a sneak peek of our showcase 5 Sustainable Lodges for 2024-2025:

1. Grootbos, South Africa

2. Wolwedans Boulders, Namibia

3. Sasaab, Kenya

4. Singita Sabora, Tanzania

5. Tuludi, Botswana